DNR: Health Care Reform

Open Letter to the Congress of the United States

As we debate whether health care reform lives or dies, I want to reiterate my opposition: Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) the bills in their current form. I believe the current bills should be scrapped, and congress should tackle health care with the following principles in mind.

1. No public option
2. No coverage for illegal aliens.
3. Allow individuals to OWN their own policies with health savings accounts and make them transportable between jobs.
4. No reduction in Medicare, Social Security. If you think $500B over the next 10 years can be saved through reduction in graft and corruption, then go after that. You should be doing that anyway ... that is your job. Funnel ACTUAL savings from your graft and corruption initiatives DIRECTLY to the states so that they can provide catastrophic health services to those without coverage via Medicaid, an EXISTING program. No more government programs that are incapable of paying for themselves... use what you have and use the existing government workforce more efficiently and effectively.
5. Remove barriers to insurance companies so that they can provide coverage across state boundaries.
6. Eliminate pre-existing conditions from insurance policies.
7. Require insurance providers to disclose costs, coverage, and other performance statistics on the internet. Allow insured persons to post their experience with the insurer on the internet.
8. Require posting of drug prices, at the point of provision, on the internet.
9. Create incentives for drug companies, insurance companies, government, and non-profit organizations to invest in student scholarships and health care infrastructure to allow ALL qualified students to go to medical school.
10. Take on the AMA if they proscribe through licensure the MAXIMUM number of doctors entering the profession. Their job should be define and measure competence, not regulate supply in order to artificially raise salaries.
11. Tackle medical malpractice tort reform.
12. Tackle medical regulation reform: I believe the government in general OVER REGULATES industries.

In short, create a FREE Market, where supply and demand can seek a balance. As Ronald Reagan said, "Government is the problem, not the solution."